Naboo Ships

[WhiteLion]

I don't know you love me Naboo's ships have always liked very much, they have a clean and elegant design, it's a shame that they don't even have a military use.
Were no ships ever made in the history of the planet?

[FaxModem1]

FIrst, I think this should go into the Pure Star Wars forum.

That said, Naboo, from what I remember, their planet has primarily been a place of peace, aside from the war on the ground between the Naboo humans and the Gungans, and so they've never needed a military. This is why most of their ships are fighters or transports.

[Lord Revan]

FIrst, I think this should go into the Pure Star Wars forum.

That said, Naboo, from what I remember, their planet has primarily been a place of peace, aside from the war on the ground between the Naboo humans and the Gungans, and so they've never needed a military. This is why most of their ships are fighters or transports.

In the old EU (aka legends) Naboo was a sectorial capital for a Mid Rim sector with no real enemies to speak of pre TPM (even conflict with the gungans seemed to me to be more like a cold war then a active conflict). Post TPM the only true enemy the Naboo would have would be the Trade Federation and it was implied that they couldn't really move against the Naboo without bringing the wrath of the Republic on them.

In fact to me it seems that planets with little to no military forces to speak of were the norm for Core to Midrim system.

[WhiteLion]

however, it is strange, inasmuch as for how peaceful a planet can be, it has an army anyway, it would have been nice if they had even made some warships. Basically "si vis pacem para bellum", the empire was not unknown to them, common sense would advise I do not say to create an army from galactic conquest but at least planetary defense forces.

[AniThyng]

however, it is strange, inasmuch as for how peaceful a planet can be, it has an army anyway, it would have been nice if they had even made some warships. Basically "si vis pacem para bellum", the empire was not unknown to them, common sense would advise I do not say to create an army from galactic conquest but at least planetary defense forces.

A bit nitpicky but they were an Imperial world from the founding so they probably couldn't be allowed anything aside from the Imperial sector fleet.

[WhiteLion]

ok now the reasoning ranks. However, even as a world I really like, a clear example of the wonderful variety of settings in the Star Wars universe, unlike many other scifi series, it offers very different planets, from real heavenly planets like Naboo to real hells or frozen planets. I've always loved this aspect of Star Wars, it never gets boring. Even in Stargate, for example, even if there are many planets, the settings do not differ as much as in Star Wars.

[Lord Revan]

however, it is strange, inasmuch as for how peaceful a planet can be, it has an army anyway, it would have been nice if they had even made some warships. Basically "si vis pacem para bellum", the empire was not unknown to them, common sense would advise I do not say to create an army from galactic conquest but at least planetary defense forces.

Well Naboo was part of the Galactic Empire so they didn't any defense from it (in fact emperor Palpatine was from Naboo) and The Galactic Empire was the only empire worth considering in this.

We got to remember that 99% of the systems we visit in the orginal three movies of the Skywalker saga are imperial (Yavin IV and Hoth are really the only true exception). indeed pretty much all republic and CIS systems would be imperial systems during the galactic civil war (even systems in open rebellion like Alderaan or Mon Cal).

[Knife]

First, Naboo is not really heavily populated. While important in that it is the birthplace of the Emperor and the place he got his political start (was he really born there?) it is not a really important system even in the Republic before the Empire. Sure, it's the capital of a sector in the Republic but not an overall important sector. It did not appear to have a big industrial or economic presence.

So...what would there be to defend?

It had a volunteer defense force on the ground. That pretty much gives you the situation. The main hanger had a dozen or so fighters in the capital city. That's the sum total of it's space force. That's either the strategic needs the government thinks it needs or can afford.

[Lord Revan]

First, Naboo is not really heavily populated. While important in that it is the birthplace of the Emperor and the place he got his political start (was he really born there?) it is not a really important system even in the Republic before the Empire. Sure, it's the capital of a sector in the Republic but not an overall important sector. It did not appear to have a big industrial or economic presence.

So...what would there be to defend?

It had a volunteer defense force on the ground. That pretty much gives you the situation. The main hanger had a dozen or so fighters in the capital city. That's the sum total of it's space force. That's either the strategic needs the government thinks it needs or can afford.

Unless it's retconned Palpatine is a native of Naboo (as in he was born there to a family that lives there permanently) and Naboo seemed to have decent enough wealth so it probably means they don't need (much) more then it's shown in the movies.

When you think about it from the point of view of the Trade Federation they wouldn't want to strongarm the Republic by blockading a system that could fight back, since those could in theory deal with the Trade Federation by themselves. Sure Corellia is of way more economic worth but TF would have to deal with those "big corellian ships" Han was bragging about 30 years later (or the equilevants from the Republic era). Naboo is ideal for the Trade Fedration it's important enough to be noticed but not so powerful that it could give them a decent fight.

[Elheru Aran]

If we hadn't seen Canto Bight in TLJ, I'd call Naboo Space Monaco. Space Lichtenstein might be more accurate. It's small, but apparently very wealthy with a lot of old money, and normally doesn't have to worry about any hostilities because nobody really cares about it.

[Formless]

I thought they chose Naboo because Darth Sidious told them to as part of Palpatine's larger gambit to become Chancellor? It didn't have to be a good target for the Trade Federation, Sidious merely had to convince them it was.

[Darth Lucifer]

Even in Stargate, for example, even if there are many planets, the settings do not differ as much as in Star Wars.

I think this was because of budgetary limitations. This is why many planets look like either a soundstage or the Canadian wilderness (where many of the outdoor scenes were filmed).

Were no ships ever made in the history of the planet?

In other sources, it's stated that while the frames of the ships were produced in the Nabooan city of Theed, the hyperdrives were produced by Nubian Star Drives, Inc. on the planet Nubia.

[Elheru Aran]

^That's why the more unique look of the Naboo craft-- they're an indigenous designed, boutique line that was crafted one piece at a time basically by hand (well, as far as Star Wars manufacturing is 'by hand' anyway), using engines and hardware imported from elsewhere. If they'd been more interested in a military security force, they'd have gone more in for a quicker, less handmade aesthetic and likely brought some manufacturing facilities on-planet.

As for Stargate... you have to give it some props, its outdoor environments aren't just some variety of soundstage or California woods, which was pretty much what you got with television SF for decades. Having the Vallejo Rocks in the background of every shot gets old. Granted given that there's something like almost twenty seasons total of various Stargate shows, it's getting to where you can recognize half of Vancouver Island. That said, budget is ALWAYS an issue for TV SF. Same reason B5's graphics are so incredibly dated.

[Lord Revan]

I thought they chose Naboo because Darth Sidious told them to as part of Palpatine's larger gambit to become Chancellor? It didn't have to be a good target for the Trade Federation, Sidious merely had to convince them it was.

True but The Trade Federation leaders are greedy and not quite smart as they think, but they're not utterly mormonic, so Naboo would have to be at least close to a good target for TF leaders to accept it.

[Gandalf]

If we hadn't seen Canto Bight in TLJ, I'd call Naboo Space Monaco. Space Lichtenstein might be more accurate. It's small, but apparently very wealthy with a lot of old money, and normally doesn't have to worry about any hostilities because nobody really cares about it.

In a galaxy the size of the one in SW, it would make sense that there's lots of little cash haven spots for rich people to do shitty rich people things.

[RogueIce]

Naboo didn't have a military because they didn't need a military. They had the Galactic Republic and the Jedi. The Trade Federation blockade was something of an OCP for the then-peaceful Republic, as I recall. Prior to that disputes were handled in the Senate and Jedi intervention. There were also the Judicials, though in Disney Canon we don't know much about them beyond the two who got blasted in the Trade Federation hanger at the start of TPM. In Legends though they still had capital ships and fighters they could bring to bear, if the situation called for it.

So a security force and some space fighters to (probably) chase off random pirates was all the Naboo needed. Anything more would be handled by the Senate, Jedi or Republic.

And obviously, the Empire when the time came.

[Elheru Aran]

If we hadn't seen Canto Bight in TLJ, I'd call Naboo Space Monaco. Space Lichtenstein might be more accurate. It's small, but apparently very wealthy with a lot of old money, and normally doesn't have to worry about any hostilities because nobody really cares about it.

In a galaxy the size of the one in SW, it would make sense that there's lots of little cash haven spots for rich people to do shitty rich people things.

It's interesting though, Naboo doesn't seem as outright evil as the galactic wealthy did on Canto Bight. While they marginalized the Gungans, which is a pretty lousy thing in its own right, they weren't enslaving or exploiting them. When Amidala found out about their situation, she attempted to correct it by making a treaty with the Gungan people. She had been somewhat insulated hitherto, and that suggests (to me at least) that the human population didn't regularly encounter them either. Perhaps the human population of Naboo originally went there like billionaires are flocking to New Zealand?

That said we don't really see much of Naboo at all. Just like... a palace and bits of the city, forests/swamps, that big battlefield and then what appeared to be sort of a luxury vacation cottage where Anakin and Padme hung out. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the great majority of their workforce are droids, say 95%, and the other 5% of the workforce are people who fix the droids.

[Galvatron]

Naboo's depiction as little more than a vacation resort still makes me hazy on why the Trade Federation chose to blockade and then occupy it, but that's an old debate that pisses a lot of people off...

Yes, it is vague, which also means unclear. That's my point.

Did Naboo support or oppose the taxes? Palpatine said that the tragedy started with the taxation, which implies the latter, so why would the Trade Federation blame their political allies?

Yes, I need it spelled out for me. Kinda like in how ANH when we're actually told why Alderaan is being destroyed.

[bilateralrope]

If the Trade Federation targeted a world that was rich enough, they risk having to deal with any friends that world might have. Maybe someone who has a fleet large enough to drive them away, or maybe someone with influence in the Senate that is unhappy about some luxury of his being disrupted.

[Elheru Aran]

If the Trade Federation targeted a world that was rich enough, they risk having to deal with any friends that world might have. Maybe someone who has a fleet large enough to drive them away, or maybe someone with influence in the Senate that is unhappy about some luxury of his being disrupted.

Naboo -was- rich, well off enough to have the Jedi show up, an act that almost intimidated the Trade Federation into just giving up until Sidious told them to put on their big girl panties. I think it was more it being a fringe world that didn't actually supply anything important to anybody that gave the TF the idea they could take it without too much trouble. An (imaginary) real-world example might be, say, the East India Tea Company quietly taking over some Indonesian island. I mean, Naboo has a Senator of its own, which indicates that politically at least it was significant enough to be part of the Galactic Senate, and not just part of a consortium of worlds represented by a single Senator. Of course, that Senator was Palpatine, so basically Sidious was setting up the Trade Federation...

[RogueIce]

The Trade Federation blockaded Naboo because Sidious told them to blockade Naboo. Sidious told them to blockade Naboo because Palpatine could use it as a cause to gain the Supreme Chancellorship by taking down Valorum for being weak and indecisive, while having a sympathy vote to boost his prospects. The Trade Federation went along with it because Sidious promised them doing so would eliminate the tax problem, and they were scared shitless of him anyway so didn't dare question it.

I didn't think this was very complicated but I guess it was.

[Galvatron]

None of that explains the TF's pretext for punishing a political ally.

[RogueIce]

None of that explains the TF's pretext for punishing a political ally.

It's your assumption they were a political ally, based off your interpretation of a single sentence that doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does. And can very easily not be read that way, since "the tragedy" Palpatine is talking about is more than likely the blockade and invasion, not the taxation.

For all we know, he supported it and voted for it. And at least in Legends: he did.

Which is, y'know, pretty likely considering the game he was playing.

[Gandalf]

None of that explains the TF's pretext for punishing a political ally.

Was the political ally Naboo, or the Republic itself?

[Galvatron]

Presumably Naboo. I'll quote myself from that old thread again...

Does the EU suddenly matter?

In the movie, Palpatine said this: "Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the senate, a tragedy has occurred which started right here with the taxation of trade routes and has now engulfed our entire planet in the oppression of the Trade Federation."

Why would he say that if the taxation was his idea? It sounds to me like he didn't even support it.

So why was Naboo was singled out by the Trade Federation? The movie is clear as mud on this point.

To me, it sounds like the "tragedy" was the entire sequence of events from A to Z, including the taxation itself.